Rocky Mountain National Park is known for its waterfalls. Many are easy to reach, and some require hours of hiking. Check out our Top 10 Waterfall Hikes in RMNP below ranked from the easiest to the most difficult. It is our hope that this list will become a great starter guide for those wanting to end their hikes with at great destination. Be sure to see our full set of Waterfall Hikes in Rocky Mountain National Park to explore even more!

Distance: 0.1 mile, 2.8, or 4.8 miles Round Trip (depending on parking area)Drive Time from Denver: 1 Hour 40 MinutesDifficulty: Easy
Chasm Falls in Rocky Mountain National Park is one of the more accessible waterfalls in RMNP, situated about 100 yards from Old Fall River Road. This cuts through a chasm in Fall River where the water courses its way into a narrow gorge.

Distance: 0.4 mile Round TripDrive Time from Denver: 1 Hour 40 MinutesDifficulty: Easy
Horseshoe Falls in Rocky Mountain National Park is an extensive cascade waterfall, named for the way it bends its course through the rocky hillside. It is a short and easy family-favorite hike near Estes Park, Colorado which starts from the Alluvial Fan Trailhead but also be viewed from the roadside.

Distance: 0.6 mile Round TripDrive Time from Denver: 2 Hours 15 MinutesDifficulty: Easy
Adams Falls is a short .6 mile out and back hike near Grand Lake, Colorado. The waterfall borders Rocky Mountain National Park and the hike starts at the East Inlet Trailhead.

Distance: 0.6 miles Round TripDrive Time from Denver: 1 Hour 30 MinutesDifficulty: Easy
You won’t be able to miss Copeland Falls in the Wild Basin area in RMNP as it is the first waterfall along the main trail and is just a short hike from the trailhead.

Distance: 1.6 miles Round TripDrive Time from Denver: 2 HoursDifficulty: Moderate
If you only have time for one short hike on the East Side of RMNP, Alberta Falls is a great choice. It is one of the most popular short hikes in the park.

Distance: 5.4 miles Round TripDrive Time from Denver: 1 Hour 40 MinutesDifficulty: Moderate
Take in the sights and sounds of Fern Falls in Rocky Mountain National Park before hiking on to Fern Lake. The waterfall flows down through the forest casting a fine mist across the trail making it a perfect place to drop by and cool off.

Distance: 5.4 miles Round TripDrive Time from Denver: 1 Hour 30 MinutesDifficulty: Moderate
Ouzel Falls is one of the most beautiful waterfalls in RMNP. It spills over a cliffside and enormous boulders. To get to the 40-foot falls, the trail leads hikers through several creeks and past three other cascade waterfalls.

Distance: 8 miles Round TripDrive Time from Denver: 2 HoursDifficulty: Difficult
The round-trip hike to Timberline Falls in Rocky Mountain National Park is demanding but has plentiful rewards. The trail passes Alberta Falls along the way and up into beautiful Loch Vale. Beyond the waterfall hikers will find other beautiful bodies of water: Lake of Glass, some other falls, and the spectacular Sky Pond.

Distance: 9.6 miles Round TripDrive Time from Denver: 2 HoursDifficulty: Difficult
Ribbons Falls is a slide waterfall that pours from Black Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park. The 4.8 mile hike up to get there is another demanding one, but well worth the effort as you’ll encounter several other spectacles along the way. Just another 0.2 mile up ahead, the trail would lead to Black Lake and another waterfall, Black Lake Falls, which spills down seasonally from the heights above the lake.

Distance: 9 miles Round TripDrive Time from Denver: 1 Hour 40 MinutesDifficulty: Difficult
Hidden along the northern shore of Ypsilon Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park is the tiered Ypsilon Falls. The 4.5-mile hike to this isolated waterfall follows the demanding Ypsilon Lake trail, a trek through the thick woods of the Mummy Range.